Hexide diesters



Patented Oct. 30, 1945 HEXIDE DIESTERS Sol Soltzberg, Wilmington, Del., asslgnor to Atlas Powder Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application October 5, 1944, Serial No. 557,387

11 Claims.

mula of one ofthe hexldes:

no CH-C cm HI H- HOH Practically, the hexides are derived from hexitols,

by an anhydridizing reaction, in consequence of which the hexides are named by reference to the hexitols, from which they can be formed, by

changing the sufflx itol to ide. Thus, mannitol yields mannide, sorbltol yields sorbide, dulcitol yields dulcide, etc. Each of the hexitols is capable of forming a number of isomeric hexides. In this application the terms mannide," sorbide." etc., are employed in the generic sense to cover all isomeric hexides formed from the respective hexitols. The class of esters of this invention can be described by the formula wherein H is thedivalent hexide residue (Col-1:04) R is the acyl radical of a saturated fatty acid with from 2 to 9 carbon atoms, R is the acyl radical of a saturated fatty aci with from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, and The sum of the carbon atoms in R +R= is at least 5 and not greater than 18. The esters in this group arehigh boiling compounds with low volatilities, low water solubilities,

good resistance to hydrolysis, high compatibllities and plasticizing efiect on a number of plastics. They are oily liquids that can readily be incorporated into plastic formulations to prepare lacquers, films, molded articles and the like.

The fatty acids that can be used are the straight and branched chain saturated fatty acids with 2 to carbon atoms, such as acetic, propionic, butyric, isobutyric, valeric, isovaleric, caproic, 2-

' ethylbutyric, heptoic, caprylic, 2-ethyl hexoic,

pelargonic, and capric. Anhydrides, such as acetic or propionic anhydride, can be used in preparing the esters.

The esters of the invention can be prepared by reacting the hexide with at least two'equlvalents of the fatty acid or acid anhydride in the presence of an esterifying catalyst, such as sulfuric acid, and or by refluxing with a water-removing liquid. Alternatively the esters can be prepared by reacting two equivalents of the acid with a hexitol or a hexitan at elevated temperature in the presence of a catalyst such as'sulfuric acid, for a time sumcient to remove water'from the hexitol or hexitan to form the hexide and simultaneously cause esterification with the fatty acid. Other methods of preparation can be used but these two types are preferred.

Where m'i'xe'd esters, for example sorbide octoate-propionate, are to be made, it is preferable to form the mono-ester of the longer chain acid first and then complete the esteriflcatlon with the shorter chain acid.

The esters of the invention are useful as solvents, extractants, blending agents for perfumes and flavors, solvent plasticizers or softeners for a number of cellulose derivatives and natural and synthetic resins. Many of the. esters are plasticizers or softeners for cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride-acetate copolymer,

polyvinyl butyral, synthetic rubber compositions I such as butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer, and butadiene-styrene copolymer. The esters can also be combined with extender plasticizers in a wide range of plastics and resins. In general the esters of this class have very good light stability so that lastics in which they are employed retain their tensile strength and elongation properties after long exposure to light.

One of the advantages of the esters of this invention is their lack of toxicity in food packaging and the like. For example resinous coatings for food packages can safely include" these esters as plasticizers, and plastic films for food wrapping can likewise'include these esters.

The following-examples are illustrative of typical preparations of the esters of the invention.

' Exams: I

Isomannide dibuturate 148 grams crystalline isomannide, 190 grams I butyric acid, 150 ml. toluene, and 0.5 ml, concentrated sulfuric acid' were heated together with continuous agitation. The water formed was removed as a constant boiling mixture with the toluene. Reaction was continued until no fur- .ther evolution of water was noted at which time 35.5 ml. of water had been collected (calculated 36 ml. water).

-bgfling mixture'wi trams of The reaction product was then washed with sodium carbonate solution until the excess acid was removed, followed by a water wash to remove a I the sodium carbonate. v p

After evaporating the toluene under vacuum 256 grams of product were obtained having a hydroxyl number of and a saponiilcation value of 355.

This product was 100% compatible with cellue lose acetate, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride,- polyvinyl chloride-acetate, and polyvinyl butyral. In a volatility test it had a weight loss .of 9% after being held for 120 hours at 105' e. V

' min: I! a I Sorbide camlote -propionate Borbide was prepared by heating 1884 grams of :sorbitol solution containing 81.8% water, at 140' C.-with 10 grams concentrated sulfuric acid at a pressure of 88 to 92 of mercury until substantially two mols of water per mol oisorbitol were removed. The product was essentially a mixture of isomeric sorbides containing 2.3% water. This product. was used without neutralizing the catalyst in the following esteriilcation reaction.

150 grams sorbide, 157 grams caprylic acid and 150 ml. toluene were heated together withv agita tion. The water formed was removed as a' constant boiling mixture with toliiene. '--After 24 ml.

water had been collected (by separation from; toluene), '90 grams propionic acid were addedv and reaction continued-to completion.

afterremovalofthetohienemsgramsofproduct remained as an oily liquid ester. nearly insolubleinwaterfl;

sorbldejdi fies'thsl Borbide was prepared by oats. 2500 grams-of sorbitol solution containing 30.5% water at ial) -C. with 36.5 grams concentrated sulfuric acid at;

a pressure of 90-95 mm. of mercury until substantially two mols'of water per mol of sorbitol were removed. The product was essentiall a m e of isomeric sorbid'es containing 2.53% we tion reaction.

225 grams sorbid acid and 150 ml. toluene were heatedtogether with agitation. The .water formed in the reaction was removed as with toluene.

After removing the toluene grams of productwhich was 'a viscosity 'of. 87 centipoises at 25 C. had a bitter taste. 100 grams or dissolve only 0.2 gram of ester.

some. ai-oom'lote 150 grams sorbide- (prepared as in Example III), 315 grams caprylic. acid and 150. ml. toluene were heated formed inthe reaction was removed as a constant thtoluene. v After'removing the ,toluene there remained 388 product which was an oily liquid with lnvlcosity of 52 centipoises at 25 C. .This ester 25: C. dissolve less 0.1 gram 0! the W1" This product was used without neutral-L isatlon of the catalyst in the following ester-incae, see grams z -ethylbutyric i. I t I. l. e I T re remained 401 oily liquid with water at 25' C.

together with agitation. The water bitter-fatty taste. 100 grams of water at a r K v ltzumav sorblds diltrrate g 375 grams crystalline sorbitol, 870 grams butyric -acid,'1 ml. concentrated sulfuric acid and 200 ml.

toluene were heated together with agitation. The

' water formed in the reaction was removed as a constant boiling mixture with toluene.

After removing the toluene there remained 415 grams of product which was an oily liquid. The

? ester had a bitter, slightly sour taste. 100 grams of water at 25 C. dissolve 0.4 gram of the ester.

The other esters of the invention can be made .1sysimilarprocesses using the selected acid or.

acids and hexide, hexitol or hexitan. 'l 'urther esters that can be made by these processes are. for example, sorbide acetate-propionate, sorbide di-propionate, sorbide di-caproate (di-hexoate).

sorbide di-2-ethyl hexoate, mannide decoate propionate, sorbide caproate propionate, sorblde di-, pelargonate, etc. a r

'Asbefore mentioned, the esters of the havention are. plasticizers for the polyvinyl resins. 25 Films of polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl chlorideacetate, and polyvinyl butyral,- plasticized. with the esters of the invention tested a follows;

ExsxruA A stock. solution was prepared of polyvinyl chloride- ("Vinyli grade "QYNA" of Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation) 5 parts by weight in 95 parts of mesityl oxide. Tests were made by dissolving 0.83 part or the ester to be M in parts of the stock solution. The resuiting solution was then cast .on a' glass plate by means of a doctor blade adjusted so that the illm had a wet thickness of 0.3 inch. The plate .and film were dried at 25 C. overnight and were rying; the illms, now composed of polyvinyl chloride plus 33%% of the ester. were stripped '01! the plate and out intostripstfi inch wide. Tensile strength and elongation measurements were then made on the plasticised strips. The results of these measurements are reported below in the A solution prepared of polyvinyl chloride-acetate (Vinylite" grade "VYHH" of s5 Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation) 18.8

parts by weight in 48.2 parts cyclohexanone and 32.9 parts toluene. Tests were made by dissolving3.13parts oftheestertobetestedinwparts 4 of the stock solution.- l 'ilms were cast, dried and to out into strips as in'Example A. Tensile strength and elongation measurements were made on the plasticized strips which were composed of the polyvinyl chloride-acetate plus 33%; plasticiser. ...The results of below in the table.

were prepared and I then dried at C. for one hour. Following this thesetestsarealsoreported 7 '7 3' {gale-3- I minutentfibolmdpressuredvesdpgoductwifla Y b J I i abemilesfirggihoflfiflfllbm/ .imlusiunelon- "Tenllb nun- .cbm' nflon-o! I 3*"; l'br menyuaesJorexamplea-nol'ventsorphsql Pam tieizera,mixtureegiesizerlsuch-m1!thoseiorizixed= .J" n-qm mixturelof exides,or ormedlnoreac on :bbbW m- :1: v m m m I g {33 ammureofeeidmare'aszooduorbetherthau 'mbiiupglzupbu TYBJG] m -wo pu 'esinsle chemical individuals. It ieunnecea MQM fl wP- min-zenerahtheretormtoiaolatespeemcesters y ortoemmoyreactionawhich'produeeonlyasinl e t b bnxmuc uter lthmmh purestera prepered'it. .Astockeolutionwupreparedbydisaoivinllh I v m by weight of polyvinyl butyral (Vinylitef -nmdeot Carbide and Csrboii Chemicals Lf i im Oqnmuiam in parts of denatuged ethanol (Formula #80). Tests were made by dilsolvind ff, -ni zb bmbyweignmrmeemrbobemmso motthestock ution. l'llmewere repel-edv a W" mm The 29 fliafliedivalenthexidensidue (CeHeOl) '1'; tamed same plasticizer based on the polyvinyl iu m m g fi W1??? '9' w an. the m1 mum! of a sbbfimeumi'iit- H uwithtromatolocubonatome, i,

'. 'rhemmoitheeu'bonatomsin 151163111. Tablefl ieutfiandnotzmterthanm w I a 2.80rbidediestenoithetype 1 I rm m a mum mus Paint" Y wg abmbum :3 w 4 1; the divalent soglidetresidue (cm-om 1 W q istheacylradi o a,satin-Med MMmaid 53.381333532TM..122 1 4% -,;'with from Ztoflearbon stoma, v f -w--- 1 9!. I is the acyl radical of a saturated fatty acid Q j VithIromSboIOcu-bonammJ nd in mthe m- "mnum oithe cubofi atoms inn! andfl' is ot "withtheeevln'ylreainaonhotmiliinzot 120' C.

:In eddition to the ester! aetout in the foreoinz tables. which represent the preferred planor softeners; For exainpie. the hexide dim-opi-- onabea and acetate-premonition are vfluable up solvent-plasticizers otaoitenera or these resins and em 100% compatible with them. The 501- vent-plasticizers can also be used wudvuntaze working propane; and when vulcanized tor flowers torpreporlnz'elastic compositions ofthe j 3 mpectiveresinmtheotheresteraoftheinvention embeuaedwiththeume i'eeinsuepiaticiaei a.

' ie-n5 and not create: than 18.

" iafw dieote'ra or the me" .;Y I I v HIBKHX-I u m "We I I,

n u the divalent mannide residue (cm) bwith tromito Dem-hon atoms,

"Bl-ll the my! radical'o! a satmaied tatty ecid withhoma 1:010 carbon atoms. and

v ineonjumtiqn n n m m mm prepaumo! the carbon atoms in R and R? is at oration o! elastiecompoeitions. 5 Ind not greater than 18. The name di-pelarzonabee have been i'ound- W r particularly valuable as plasticizers f r vinyl Ahefldv r v Q tresinsbfl employediubthe preparetion'orcoated gtiggggfi zm 'aoa.

m babel-am plasticizers m. synthetic rubber F edl-fl-etbyi bum-m and impart good workins pr perties to the rubber s A hum -mv mix on the mm. For example, 20% by weight 01 v e a te-ammonia.

iaomannide dibutyrete in the butadiene-acrylor 7' f nitrfle c poly r produces u mess that has eood' i Boga; mama.

'll'iltheacylradicalotaaahimbedtowyqcid 

